The Studio (MDR)’s owner and CEO, Lisa Hirsch, on why it’s so important to make more time for the things you truly want in life—starting now.
A few days ago, I fell into bed after a long day and had a realization that threw me into a tailspin of one “aha” moment after another. That day, my alarm went off at 5 a.m., I worked (and worked out) at The Studio (MDR), I raced home to walk Willie Meatball Nelson and Mabel (my beloved pooches), then proceeded to go on a mad dash around my place to change into fresh clothes for a business meeting. This was followed by an entire day and evening—I kid you not—of following a schedule that didn’t even give me a millisecond to take a deep breath.
As I tried to fall asleep that night, almost too wound up to finally relax, I thought to myself: This is my typical day. When did I become that person who never has any time?
I know I’m preaching to the choir.
The hectic holiday time is upon us and along with the fun festivities comes a motherload of stress. And while I definitely don’t want to put any more stress on myself or on any of you, I do think it’s a good time to take a step back and really think about why most of us live in this place where we feel like we never have enough time—and simultaneously feel like we have all the time in the world.
Think back to your 20-year-old self and how she or he thought there was all the time in the world to do things like get married, have babies, land dream jobs and make millions of dollars. The 20-something version of yourself was also probably pretty busy—maybe even feeling the same way you do now, like there’s just not enough hours in the day to do everything. While I’m the first one to say regrets are a waste of time, and that each of our paths in this world unfolds in front of us for a reason, I’m also starting to wonder if I should’ve tackled this issue of time a bit sooner—and not settled for the “I’ve got loads of time” excuse.
What if I’d decided at 33 that I really wanted kids and didn’t, in fact, have all the time in the world to start a family? What if, at 35, I’d ditched my music industry gig to open the Studio (MDR) instead of dreaming of a different life for years before it finally happened? I know I could play the wouldda, shouldda, couldda game all the live-long day, but what my big lesson has been—and what I hope resonates with all of you, as well—is that now is the time to take stock of your time. How are you spending your days, and does the answer to that question make you happy and feel fulfilled? Who are the people you’ve chosen to fill your life with, and do they help you grow as a human being and add joy to your world? What, exactly, is your calling and are you manifesting your biggest, wildest dreams? The bottom line is that now’s the time to really think about these things—and to carve out a few more moments in your days to making what you really want in this world a reality.
Seems to me like there’s no better time than the end of a year and the start of another to ask ourselves these questions and be honest with ourselves when we come up with the answers. I know I feel lucky to have such a supportive family and friend network—which includes all of you—as I charge into 2015 with an eye towards making my biggest dreams come true, and I can’t wait to hear about all of your journeys, too, so reach out and tell me your stories!
With love and appreciation and a wish for all of you to have a very happy holiday season and your best year yet,
Lisa